'Renewal doesn't deal with corruption in the ANC': Gigaba warns money still a trojan horse

ANC national executive committee member Malusi Gigaba says the party’s organisational renewal programme cannot be genuine if it doesn’t deal with corruption in the party.

Gigaba says the use of money in the party to buy patronage and win elective conferences is a serious problem that the talk on renewal seems to be ignoring.

In what could be seen as a veiled swipe at ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa, who stands accused of using money to win the 2017 conferences, Gigaba said in its current form, renewal doesn’t touch on the corruption within the party by those with money.

“The problem with organisational renewal, as we often talk about in our policies, is that it doesn't deal with this problem. So it will deal with how comrades behave in government or areas of deployment, but it doesn't deal with the problem of the corruption of the ANC by those who have money — and trying to answer the question, where do they get that money from, and why is this money so limitless?” he said.

Gigaba was speaking at the ANC Youth League's (ANCYL) 80th anniversary, where former leaders of the young lions were reflecting on their tenures and how the current cohort of leaders can take the structure forward.

He said one of the ANC’s biggest problems was that money had become the main currency in the party, replacing ideology and intellect.

He said those with money, regardless of their leadership qualities, find themselves at the helm of the party simply because of their deep pockets.

“That problem would have intensified when relations among comrades have become transactional and commodified. We now engage on the basis of how much money you give me, not on the strength of your ideas, your organisational experience and your ability to perform the tasks of the movement.

“The commodification of the ANC of relations among comrades has allowed capitalist values to creep into the movement.”

Gigaba has been implicated in corruption during his time in government in former president Jacob Zuma's administration. The state capture commission instructed law enforcement agencies to investigate and possibly charge Gigaba with corruption and racketeering. The report found Gigaba had enabled the Gupta family to loot Transnet.

In his reflections, ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula said the disbandment of the ANCYL led by Collen Maine in 2018 was wrong. He told the gathering the disbandment did not help the ANC achieve anything.

“That lull of the Youth League ... was a disaster. Actually the decision to disband the Youth League was wrong by the ANC,” said Mbalula, adding that this was because the decision did not remedy anything. 

He also reflected on the 2007 Polokwane conference where Zuma contested and won against former president Thabo Mbeki.

Mbalula said that they were not fighting Mbeki at the time but rather a view that he could get a third term. He said some of those who were fighting for the removal of Mbeki were simply threatened by his intellect.

Mbalula said under his watch the national leadership of the ANC will not be allowed to influence ANCYL conferences. He told the gathering about how the league conference that was meant to elect former ANC national spokesperson, Pule Mabe and ANC chief whip Mdumiseni Ntuli as president and secretary-general was collapsed by the national leaders, who feared that Mabe would be more radical than EFF leader Julius Malema, who later became ANCYL president at the time. 

He said he would not allow the national leaders to have such an influence on ANCYL business.

“The leadership of the ANC comrades arrived and stopped a conference of the youth. It will never happen today. It will never, I can guarantee you that it will never happen, because the people who are leading here today, are the products of this organisation. We know the value of the Youth League to the ANC.”

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